Around 150 Patients Moved Out As Fire Breaks Out At UP Hospital

A fire broke out in the cardiology department of a government hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur town this morning, the police said, adding there were no immediate reports of casualties.

At least 146 patients were admitted in the LPS Institute of Cardiology, part of the UP government-run Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College located in the Kanpur town when the fire broke out around 8 am, the police said, adding all the patients were moved to safety. "The fire is under control. 146 patients were safely evacuated after the fire started. Nine patients are still in the ICU but they are medically safe and sound. No casualty has been reported from fire brigade as of now," Aseem Arun, Police Commisioner, Kanpur, said.

"The fire broke out in the storeroom. Things are under control now and officers are on the ground. There are no casualties. Around 140 patients were evacuated," Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi told news agency PTI, adding that the flames have been doused.

The state government has ordered a probe into the incident. "The Chief Minister has taken cognisance of the fire in the cardiology department building at Kanpur. He has directed that all evacuated patients be provided immediate care. He has asked for a report from the District Administration and directed that a high level team of Princial Secretery Health Education and DG Fire should visit the site today and give its report immediately," the government said in a statement.

Kanpur's Additional Commissioner of Police Akash Kulhari said a couple of fire-tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire.

Window panes on the first floor of the hospital were broken to let the smoke out, an official said.

According to Swaroop Nagar Station House Officer (SHO) Ashwani Pandey, the fire broke out on the first floor of the hospital.

With inputs from PTI